New Reaper in Town
by Finn Mac Cool
Summary: When the mystical forces of Life and Death become unhappy with how Grim does his job, they decide to get someone more viscious and brutal to be their Grim Reaper: they choose Mandy.
1. Grim's Boss

**NEW REAPER IN TOWN**

Rated: PG

Author's Note - Originally, I was going to post this all as one piece, but about the time I had to stop writing and go to class, I had reached a cliffhanger moment (unintentionally, the wording just came to me in the moment). Anyways, I've got the remainder of the fic planned out entirely in my head, and I'm even part way through the second chapter right now. Please tell me if you like it, but be honest if there's something that could use improvement (I'm very worried about the level of description; it's hard to capture the kind of cartoon antics _Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy_ in words). Enjoy!

Chapter 1: Grim's Boss

J. Maximus Hartley, age one hundred and seventeen, was sitting in his wheelchair, hooked up to the tubes and machines that kept his blood flowing, when the Grim Reaper appeared. He came through a swirling, green vortex in the middle of Hartley's living room, his skeleton body clad in the traditional black robe, the dreaded scythe clutched in his right hand.

"Hey, the sign out front says no solicitors!" Hartley bellowed, his voice coming out ragged due to the many wires attached to his neck, "What's the matter, can't ya read?"

"Oh, I'm not selling anything," the Reaper replied, his Jamaican accent growing ominous as he loomed higher over the old man, "I'm more in the business of _taking_."

He held the scythe up high, prepared to swing it down and reap another soul, when Hartley pressed a button making his wheelchair rocket forward, knocking the Grim Reaper to ground.

"Hey, mon, what's the big idea!?" Grim shouted, in his shock not sounding quite so ominous.

"So, you thought you'd come for my soul, eh?" Hartley asked, a raspy chuckle escaping his throat, "Well, J. Maximus Hartley never let no bony armed freak take his soul without a fight!"

The old man prodded his wheelchair forward once more, the machines which pumped his blood being pulled along by the tubes. It took all the speed the Grim Reaper could muster to avoid being run over. As he was chased around Hartley's living room, the vortex through which he had first arrived spewed out someone else, a perpetually frowning little girl in a pink dress.

"Grim, where are you?" Mandy hollered.

"I knew I should have closed that portal when I arrived," Grim muttered to himself. This distraction diverted his concentration just enough that Hartley's wheelchair was able to collide with his butt, sending him sprawling onto the floor once again.

Mandy, unconcerned about Grim's predicament, continued talking, "My mom says cleaning the gutters will help me build character, so you better have them shining by dinner."

"This isn't really a good time, Mandy," said Grim as Hartley backed him into a corner.

"This'll teach ya to come bargin' into my home!" Hartley shouted as he used his wheelchair to crush Grim's waist against the wall.

"Oof! I'm just trying to do my job, man!" Grim shouted, clutching some of his shattered bones.

"And screwing up as usual," Mandy intoned. She then walked over to where Hartley had Grim cornered and grabbed the scythe out of Grim's hands. "I'll take care of this guy then you can get back to my chores."

Hartley rotated his wheelchair until it was facing Mandy. "So, you want a piece of me, too, huh? Well, I've got more than enough strength to take you on, whipper-snapper!"

He reved up his wheelchair, the machines he was hooked to working double time to handle his boiling blood, and then launched himself forward at the little girl. Mandy didn't flinch. She casually stepped out of the way of Hartley's assault and placed the scythe on the ground in front of him. The wheelchair hit the scythe at full speed, causing it to crash to the ground, leaving Hartley trapped under its weight.

"Little hooligan," Hartley muttered, his voice weaker, the machine that breathed for him having been pulled along in the crash. "I'm not gonna stand for this, no sir!"

Mandy picked up the scythe again and, despite being about two times too big for her, held it as naturally as could be. "Oh, don't be so upset," she said, "We're just going to take a little trip off the mortal coil."

Grim watched in amazement as Mandy made excellent use of the scythe. It only took a few good and painful slashing motions before she was holding the scythe in one hand and the disembodied spirit of J. Maximus Hartley in the other.

"You can't do this too me!" the spirit hollered, "I've got rights! I want a lawyer!"

Mandy ignored him and slashed through the air with the scythe, creating a tear in reality. Without another word she hurled Hartley's spirit through the opening to the Underworld and closed it behind him with another casual swing of the scythe.

"There," she said, turning to Grim, "We can go now."

"Yeah, yeah, just a second," said the Reaper as he gingerly inspected where he had been crushed by the wheelchair.

Suddenly, there was a roar of thunder and a crack of lightning. A great pillar of flame rose inside the living room, swirling with mystical energy.

"Uh, Grim, mind explaining what that is?" asked Mandy.

Before he could respond, the flames exploded in a flash of light, and a massive being stood before them. It looked almost like a human being, save that it's left side was entirely white and its right side was entirely black. Oh, yeah, and it stood over fifteen feet tall. Upon seeing this figure, the Grim Reaper fell to his knees and bowed.

"Oh, great and wonderful Lord of Life and Death," said Grim, his head still bowed, "What have I done to be honored by your presence?"

"SILENCE!" the being shouted.

"Okay," Grim said meekly.

"Lord of Life and Death," Mandy mused to herself, then she addressed the creature before her, "So I guess that makes you Grim's boss, huh?"

Grim turned towards Mandy, aghast. "Mandy, how dare you speak to the great and wonder-"

"BE QUIET, REAPER!"

"Yes, my Lord," Grim replied, resuming the bowed position once again.

"I HAVE COME HERE," said the Lord of Life and Death, "BECAUSE I SENSED THAT THIS GIRL WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR HANDLING ONE OF YOUR ASSIGNMENTS."

"Well, it wasn't on purpose," groveled Grim, "She grabbed the scythe away from me and just started hacking away. I swear that it will never happen again, and . . ."

"OH, BUT IT WILL HAPPEN AGAIN," said the creature, "WHILE YOU WERE BUSY COWERING, THIS HUMAN GIRL WAS ABLE TO DISPATCH THE OLD MAN'S SOUL IN HALF A MINUTE."

"That wasn't my fault!" Grim said desperately, "I swear he had some sort of super wheelchair!"

"ENOUGH!" the black and white Lord bellowed, "SINCE YOU HAVE PROVEN YOURSELF TO BE WOEFULLY INCOMPETENT, ALL OF YOUR POWER AND AUTHORITY SHALL NOW BE GIVEN TO THE GIRL NAMED MANDY."

"Me?" asked Mandy

"HER!?" shouted Grim.

There was a flash of light, and suddenly Grim's robe vanished and reappeared on Mandy.

"Hmm, black," said Mandy, examining her new attire.

"THE LORD OF LIFE AND DEATH HAS SPOKEN!"

With that he vanished in a blaze of fire, leaving a naked skeleton and the new Grim Reaper behind.


	2. Mandy the Reaper

Chapter 2: Mandy the Reaper

000

"Come on, Mandy, be reasonable," pleaded Grim.

The two of them were walking down one of the many suburban streets of Endsville. Grim's full skeletal form was exposed without his robe, which was being worn by Mandy. The robe trailed out several feet behind her, and the scythe in her hands was nearly three times as tall as she was, but she carried it all with ease.

"Forget it, Grim," Mandy said, not looking back at the skeleton, "It's not my fault the forces of the universe decided to give the job to someone more qualified."

"More qualified!" shouted Grim, "You'd better watch your tongue, child. I've been the Grim Reaper for ten thousand years, and I haven't missed a soul yet!

"Even him?" Mandy asked, pointing across the street to where Elvis stood, eating a sandwich.

"All right, that one may have slipped past me," Grim conceded.

"Look, Grim," said Mandy, "maybe you were a good enough Reaper back in the old days, but this is the new millenium, and it's time for someone new to take over."

Before Grim could respond, a car sped by at over 80 miles per hour and crashed down the street in a horrible blaze of fire.

"Now, if you'll excuse, I've got work to do," said Mandy, walking towards the car wreck, scythe-in-hand, "Oh, by the way Grim, you might want to get some new clothes. I can see your shinbone."

Screeching with embarrassment, Grim quickly covered his bony midriff with his hands.

000

Later, Mandy walked down the street, the scythe tucked into the crook of one of her arms, while her hands were busy marking off names on her list of souls to collect.

"Guy who ate too much bacon, check. Woman who thought wolverines would make good pets, check," Mandy said to herself, crossing out collected souls, "Guy who got the bad blowfish at a sushi restaurant, check."

As she was doing this, Mandy spotted something down the street that made her perpetual frown deepen ever further. It was Mindy, the school's most popular girl with a few of her friends.

"And did you see how Mandy's hair looked on Thursday? What a loser!" said Mindy to her hanger-on's, who, of course, laughed and agreed.

Mandy looked around to make sure no one was watching, then quickly scribbled the name "Mindy" onto her list. Just then, she was interrupted by an annoying and all too familiar noise.

"Hi, Mandy!" Billy hollered as he approached her, "Whatcha doin'?

"Same old, same old," Mandy muttered, polishing the blade of the scythe a little.

"Say," said Billy, a thought slowly arising in his head, "Why are you holding Grim's scythe? And why are you wearing his clothes, too?"

"Oh, the Lord of Life and Death made me the new Grim Reaper," Mandy replied nonchalantly. She then tried to walk past Billy and get on to reaping a certain girl's soul, but Billy was quick to jump in front of her.

"Wait a second," Billy said, "If you're the Grim Reaper now, what do we call Grim? Ooh! How about we call you Grim, and Grim can be called Mandy!"

"Call him whatever you want, chowder head. Now, if you'll excuse me . . ."

"Wow, it must be so cool to be the Grim Reaper," Billy continued, oblivious to Mandy's growing irritation, "I wish I was the Grim Reaper! Hey, let me try on the scythe!"

Billy grabbed the scythe and tried to pull it away, but, after a bit of a struggle, Mandy got it back. By then her anger had reached a boiling point.

"Listen, Billy," she shouted, "I have a very important job now; one involving lots of cosmic power for me to exploit. But I can't do that if you keep bothering me!"

"So, what are you trying to say?" asked a befuddled Billy.

"I'm saying that if you don't want to end up next on my list, you'll LEAVE ME ALONE!"

With that, Mandy tore open a portal with the scythe and shoved Billy through. After a moment spent hanging inside a swirling vortex, Billy came out the other end, falling onto his own couch. Grim was already there, dressed in a T-shirt and pair of shorts taken from Billy's dresser.

"Grim!" Billy whined, "Mandy was mean to me!"

"So?" he responded, "She's always mean."

"Yeah, but usually she still lets me hang out with her," Billy continued, "This time she just yelled at me and threw me through a portal! I think being the Grim Reaper has gone to her head."

"Don't get me started on that," Grim mumbled, "She thinks just because she got lucky reaping one soul that she can take everything away from me. Well, I can't take it anymore! I mean, look at me!" With that Grim jumped to his feet and pointed to the ill fitting clothes he had on. "This shirt is far too baggy, and these pants keep riding up into places they don't belong."

"Yeah, those clothes really do make you look like a doofus," Billy laughed, "Hey, wait-a-minute, those are my clothes!"

"I miss my robe," moaned Grim, "And I miss my scythe. I've got nothing to hold in my hands anymore. I tried the broom from the closet, but it's just not the same!"

"We've gotta find some way to make Mandy stop being the Grim Reaper," said Billy, "If we don't, I won't have anyone to play with, and you'll just be a loserly skeleton for all eternity."

"Don't think I wouldn't love to," sighed Grim, "But the only way to make me the Grim Reaper again is to ask the Lord of Life and Death, but his office is in another dimension. Without the scythe, I've got no way to get there."

"Ooh!" shouted Billy just before running upstairs and running back with a box in his hands, "We can use my magic set!"

"Billy, I don't think some children's toy is going to help."

"Just look," said Billy, holding up the box for the Grim to see. The box read:

000

_MY FIRST MAGIC TRICK!_

from Play Now Incorporated

**Pull a rabbit out of a hat!**

**Make a coin disappear!**

**Open a portal to the office of the Lord of Life and Death**

000

"Hmm, that's convenient," said Grim, "Okay, let's try it.

"All right," said Billy, opening the box and going through the instructions, "Let's see, first we need to mix the Fairy Dust and the Magic Powder together, then put it into this black top hat." Billy did just that. "OK, Grim, you've got to look away now; a magician is never supposed to reveal the secret to his trick."

"Oh, fine," Grim said, turning his back to Billy.

Billy looked at Grim carefully to make sure he wasn't peeking, then pulled a jar filled with MSG out of the magic box. He sprinkled some of it into the top hat, then put it away.

"Almost done," said Billy, "Now I point this wand at the hat and say the magic words: Hoofle, doofle, gilly feen, slam bam, thank you ma'am, ally-poop, diddle-goof, niddle-naddle doo!"

With those words a swirling vortex appeared inside the top hat. Billy and Grim stared at it for a moment before being sucked through it and landing in front of the Lord of Life and Death.


	3. The Three Trials

Chapter 3: The Three Trials

0 0 0

Author's Note: Sorry about the long wait. Combined with how hectic my schedule's been and the cable being out (making it hard for me to get inspiration from new Billy and Mandy episodes), it just got really hard to get this final chapter out. Hopefully, someone will still enjoy reading it, though.

0 0 0

The office of the Lord of Life and Death was dominated by a huge oak desk and the Lord himself, of course. There were some interesting totems and pictures hanging on the walls, but Billy and Grim were more focused on the angry and extremely powerful being in front of them.

"HEY, WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?" the Lord of Life and Death shouted, "CAN'T AN ENTITY ENJOY HIS LATTE IN PEACE?"

"Let me handle this," Grim hissed to Billy before addressing the cosmic being in front of him, "Oh great and wise Lord of All That Lives and Dies, we, your humble servants, beseech you to . . ."

"Hey, look at all the neat stuff up here!" Billy hollered as he ran around on top of the giant desk. "This coffee cup is huge. I bet I could go swimming in it!" With that Billy jumped into the cup of scalding hot coffee; he jumped back out a half second later screaming in pain.

"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS!" the Lord of Life and Death shouted (well, more so than usual).

"Please forgive the boy, Your Excellence," said Grim, down on his knees, "I'm afraid he is quite an imbecile."

"Maybe if I did a cannon ball it would work better," Billy said as he contemplated the coffee cup.

"I GATHERED AS MUCH," said the Lord of Life and Death, "TELL ME WHY YOU'VE COME HERE, FORMER-REAPER."

"Your Highness, regarding the recent decision to strip me of my position," said Grim, "well, it's just not fair!"

"Yeah!" said Billy, thankfully losing interest in the coffee cup, "Being the Grim Reaper is a man's job! Mandy's just a girl; all they can do is cook and clean and run giant corporations from behind the scenes. _Not _reap souls!"

"Why?" Grim asked himself, "Why do I always bring the stupid one along?"

"HMM," said the Lord of Life and Death, "PERHAPS MY DECISION WAS A TAD HASTY. YOU WERE ONLY TWO MILLION DAYS AWAY FROM RETIREMENT, AFTERALL.

"So you'll reconsider?" begged Grim.

"YES," the Lord replied, "THE GIRL KNOWN AS MANDY MUST FIRST PROVE HERSELF WORTHY OF BEING THE GRIM REAPER."

Instantly Mandy appeared in the office, still bearing the robe and scythe of the Grim Reaper.

"Hey, what's the deal?" she growled, "A guy in Mexico was choking on a burrito." It's then that she spots Billy and Grim. "Oh, it's you two. Should've known."

"MANDY," said the Lord of Life and Death, "IT HAS COME TO MY ATTENTION THAT MAKING YOU THE GRIM REAPER MIGHT HAVE BEEN A MISTAKE. IF YOU WISH TO PROVE YOURSELF, YOU MUST PASS THREE TRIALS."

"Did those two stooges put you up to this?" said Mandy, pointing at Grim and Billy.

"Look, child," said Grim, "You might think you're all that, but, when it comes to wielding the power of Death, you're out of your league."

"Oh, yeah?" said Mandy, her voice lowering. "Fine, I'll take your stupid trials. I never lose."

"SO IT BEGINS," announced the Lord of Life and Death, "BEHOLD THE FIRST TRIAL: **THE KNOT OF A THOUSAND TANGLES!**"

With those words a piece of rope materialized in front of Mandy. Most of it was occupied by a giant knot almost as tall as she was.

"YOU MUST STRAIGHTEN THE ROPE IN ORDER TO PASS THE FIRST TRIAL," said the Lord of Life and Death.

"Hmm" said Mandy as she examined the knot. She inspected it closely, plucking at it in a few places, in others merely running her fingers over its many tangles. Then, with a calm look upon her face, Mandy stepped back, grabbed the scythe, and cut the knot in half.

"Hey, that's cheating!" shouted Grim.

"No it's not," said Mandy, picking up the bisected knot, which fell apart into a thousand pieces, "The rope is straight, isn't it? It just happens to be in a few more pieces than before.

"CONGRATULATIONS," said the Lord of Life and Death, "YOU HAVE PASSED THE FIRST TRIAL. AND NOW FOR THE SECOND: **YOU MUST SLAY THE LEGENDARY HIPPOGRIFF!**"

Suddenly, Mandy vanished from the extra-dimensional office . . .

0 0 0

. . . and reappeared in the middle of an Ancient Roman stadium. As Mandy took in her new surroundings, a pair of iron doors at the south end of the stadium opened. A great beast, bearing the head and wings of an eagle, but the body of a gigantic horse, stepped out of the doorway and let loose its roar.

0 0 0

Back in the office . . .

"This is perfect!" shouted Grim, "There's no way Mandy can beat this one. No one has ever, ever, EVER slain the Hippogriff!"

"The Hippogriff's slain," said Mandy, dragging the dead monster's body behind her into the office.

"Oh poop," pouted Grim.

"That's two trials down," said Mandy, "Now tell me what the third one is so I can get back to work."

"WELL, I'M NOT REALLY SURE," admitted the Lord of Life and Death, "NO ONE'S EVER PASSED THE FIRST TWO BEFORE."

"Oh no, this is our last chance Grim!" said Billy.

"I know," the former Grim Reaper replied, "It's got to be something hard. Something that Mandy could never do in a thousand years."

Billy puzzled over their problem and, for one of the few times in his life, got an idea. "Ooh, ooh!" said Billy, who rushed over to the Lord of Life and Death and began whispering in his ear.

"Hey, what are you doing you stooge?" Mandy asked, glowering at Billy.

As Billy finished whispering, the Lord of Life and Death began to chuckle. "I HAVE DECIDED WHAT YOUR FINAL TRIAL SHALL BE," he said, "TO REMAIN THE GRIM REAPER **YOU MUST SMILE FOR ME!**"

Mandy's jaw dropped with surprise, and a faint bit of hope began to flutter in Grim's eyes. "You must be joking," Mandy said.

"I NEVER JOKE," replied the Lord of Life and Death, "SMILE, OR YOU SHALL BE STRIPPED OF ALL YOUR POWERS."

Mandy took a few deep breaths and gathered her resolve. Then, as her brow furrowed with concentration, the corners of Mandy's mouth began to twitch. She grunted in mental effort, trying to will her frown upside down. Billy and Grim looked on, not daring to breathe.

_Come on_, Mandy thought to herself, _Think happy thoughts. Puppies. Video games. World domination._

She struggled further against her sour disposition until, gasping with exhaustion, she fell to the ground.

"YOU HAVE FAILED," proclaimed the Lord of Life and Death, "YOU SHALL BE STRIPPED OF YOUR DUTIES AND THE FORMER GRIM REAPER WILL RESUME HIS OLD POSITION."

"Yes!" Grim and Billy said together, exchanging a high five.

"No!" shouted Mandy, "I don't lose. I _never_ lose!"

With that she grabbed the scythe and leaped into the air, preparing to take a swing at the Lord of Life and Death. Unfortunately, he easily managed to freeze Mandy in mid-air.

"THE LORD OF LIFE AND DEATH HAS SPOKEN," he announced, "NOW LET ME FINISH MY LATTE IN PEACE!"

Suddenly, Grim, Billy, and Mandy found themselves teleported back to Billy's living room. Mandy was now wearing her usual pink dress, while Grim had regained his black robe and scythe.

"I'm back!" Grim shouted. He then turned to his scythe and began cradling it in his arms. "Did you miss Daddy? Daddy missed you."

Meanwhile, Billy noticed that Mandy's fists were clamped extra-tight and that her snarl was more vicious than usual. "Mandy, are you mad at me cause I told the Lord of Life and Death how to beat you?" he asked innocently.

"Yes!" Mandy shouted, steam practically shooting out of her ears. Her expression then began to cool a little. "On the other hand, I'm usually mad at you about something anyway."

"So, does that mean we're friends again?" Billy asked.

"Sure," said Mandy, shrugging.

"Yay!" shouted Billy, giving her a big hug, "Billy and Mandy together again!"

"And I'm the Grim Reaper again!" Grim shouted, "Now I can get back to doing what I like to do: harvesting souls, sending people on to the afterlife . . ."

"Cleaning my gutters," finished Mandy.

"What?" said Grim.

"Don't you remember?" Mandy asked. "My mom wants me to clean the gutters, which means you better have them finished before she gets home."

"But I was going to . . ." Grim began.

"Now," ordered Mandy.

0 0 0

Grim sat on top of Mandy's roof, pulling goop out of the gutters.

"I hate being the Grim Reaper," he moaned.

THE END


End file.
